The New Little Village Nursery

The New Little Village Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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309638 Unique Reference Number 15 January 2008 Inspection date Ann Bamford Inspector

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41 Woodlands Road, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, FY8 4ER Setting Address

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01253 732 416 Telephone number info@thenewlittlevillagenursery.com E-mail The New Little Village Nursery Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The New Little Village Nursery opened in 1995. It operates from a two storey building which is located on a corner site on Woodlands Road in the Ansdell district of Lytham St. Annes. The New Little Village Nursery serves the local area and beyond.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 41 children from birth to four years old on roll. This includes 14 funded three year olds. Children attend a variety of sessions. Currently, the nursery supports children who have learning difficulties and disabilities and who have English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery opens five days a week all year round. Sessions are from 08.00 until 17.45.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children have access to a baby and sleep room, a large open plan play area, a dining area, a library, and outdoor area and older children use the first floor playroom.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There is a staff compliment of eight. The manager and owner work alongside staff for significant parts of the day. Seven staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. In addition, the manager holds qualified teacher status with an early years specialism. The nursery takes

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 students. One staff is currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from a mentor from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The setting is very clean and has effective processes in place to ensure that this remains so. Children are actively involved in routines. They are developing skills in keeping the environment clean as they clean up after snack and meal times. Staff pass their sound knowledge of good hygiene practice onto children in words of encouragement and praise. This increases children's self confidence to do the job well.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's continued good health is maintained as the setting works effectively to find out about children's individual health needs from parents. The individual plans for helping children with allergies or asthma are very creative and supportive of children's individual needs. Staff know children very well and are sensitive to even small changes in children's behaviour as being a signal of emerging illness. This provides individualised care.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are policies and procedure in place to ensure that staff have appropriate and current training on first aid and administration of specific medication. Staff knowledge of health issues, such as childhood asthma and other illnesses contribute to the settings overall commitment to ensuring that children have continued good health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are nourished effectively as the staff make use of snack and meals time to encourage children to eat healthily. Children have access to portions of fruit and vegetables each day and they enjoy the range available to them. Children help themselves to the fruit laid out for them to eat at a time of their choosing. Children are developing an awareness of healthy bodies as they talk about germs, and how both good food and exercise affects their bodies.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children generally enjoy physical activity as they pedal, balance, hop and kick using bikes, large equipment and footballs. However, the equipment available is mainly for younger children and this affects the rate at which older children develop skills in climbing or pedalling. Children have some use of the outdoor environment, even in inclement weather. However, the frequency and duration of time outdoors is small and this impedes children's access to fresh air.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children generally rest or sleep in line with their individual needs. However, though provision for babies sleep is good, the provision of equipment for older children relies on use of cots or fastened into buggies and this impedes the quality of their sleeping in comfort.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are very safe in the setting. There are robust procedures in place to ensure that this remains so. Policies and procedures for ensuring that adults who have access to children are suitable, are followed with attention to detail.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are highly competent at risk assessment and their confidence to explain clearly what they are doing to children enhances children's safety significantly. Children are developing a sophisticated ability to keep themselves and others safe in the centre as they tidy away

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 equipment, set and clear away following meals and describe how they would act in the event of a fire. All children are developing confidence to identify risks and the ability to take steps to reduce them with increasing independence.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The setting has developed an effective use of support systems of ancillary and maintenance workers to enhance the safety of children. The day to day cleaning and maintenance of the building is effective and timely, as broken equipment or a blocked drain is attended to immediately.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children confidently use a wide range of suitable and safe equipment as staff plan the layout of the rooms carefully to allow children to move freely. Babies play in their very safe area but enjoy looking out on the older children's area. Staff's constant attention to the safety of the rooms and equipment ensures that children remain entirely safe when engaged in play outdoors and indoors. Older children teach younger children how to keep themselves safe in a delightfully caring and knowledgeable manner. For example, they hold hands and tell younger children how to take their apron off and hang up safely or support each other walking across the concrete walkway describing what they are doing to stay safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are very well protected by staff's deeply embedded knowledge and understanding of their role in safeguarding children. This is enhanced further by all members of staff's strong knowledge of the procedure and confidence to act in the event of a concern about a child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children develop confidence and self-esteem as they choose their own activities. Babies and toddlers have access to a wide range of appropriate toys and activities. The setting plans to encourage children to do things for themselves. Children register themselves with confidence and select their own activity before being assembled for circle time. Children know the routine and develop the confidence to operate successfully in it with decreasing support from adults. Children's success at doing this enhances their skills as competent learners as they organise themselves.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are purposefully engaged in activity throughout the whole of their time spent in the setting. Staff organise the environment and equipment in a way which allows children to take responsibility for their learning. All equipment is stored in a way that can be accessed by children allowing them to change activities or equipment as they wish.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff involve children fully in the setting. Children are actively encouraged to have an input into planning what topics will be covered, what equipment will be needed and how each session will be ordered. As a result, children 'own' the environment and are active in ensuring that the room and equipment are treated with care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff use ‘Birth to three matters’ very well in order to plan activities for children. They observe what children are doing and use their observations to plan individual next steps for children. However, this is not fully consistent across the setting. Although this is consistent across the baby and toddler areas, currently children's rate of individual progress is impeded as they reach the Foundation Stage, as due to recent staff changes, staff are not as confident when implementing the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Key staff have a strong understanding of the Foundation Stage and are beginning to use their knowledge to further develop other newly appointed staff. All staff are developing knowledge and understanding of this area but some are not yet confident to making plans to encourage children to take the next steps in their development. Staff do challenge children to take the next steps, such as to count a set number of plates but this is incidental and not based consistently and securely in knowing what the individual child can already do, nor is it yet linked consistently to knowledge of the stepping stones of progress. This impedes the rate at which children make progress. There is comprehensive planning, which covers all areas of learning, but it is not yet developed fully to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

meet children's individual needs. Staff have begun to make assessments of what children can do but they do not use these assessments consistently to inform what may be future opportunities or next steps in individual children's development. This impedes the rate at which children learn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The planning of the environment and use of some innovative organisation begins to assist teaching and children's learning, making every area accessible and meaningful to children. For example, all equipment in the setting is stored at child height meaning children can choose equipment they think will contribute to topics.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are becoming confident communicators and readily ask questions of visitors. Many are beginning to ascribe meaning to marks and listen to stories with interest and understanding. However, the rate at which children make progress with developing listening and sequencing skills and using books as a source of information is impeded. They spend large amounts of circle time as a large group which is regularly interrupted by younger children who are not yet able to concentrate for sustained periods.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's creativity is developing well as they join in songs, or create vibrant collages using materials which are continuously available. They use musical instruments to enhance their play. They use imagination along a theme, for example, setting out imaginary lunches in the home corner and inviting adults and other children to join them in eating what they have made.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All children are happy and settled in the setting, they separate well from parents or carers. They are developing friendships. They are developing a wide range of independence skills as they assist setting, clearing and serving meals in addition to selecting and tidying away activities with increasing skill.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing the concept of numbers being less or more than, as they put out plates and cups at meal time. They match colours to individual children's places with confidence and skill. They are starting to use positional language in their play and can tell which child is the biggest and smallest with accuracy. Children show natural curiosity and begin to use tools, such as scissors for a purpose. All children can use the computer to control the mouse, many children can use simple programmes unaided. Children are developing an understanding of the world around them as they observe the lorries on the road outside and discuss what they may be transporting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children and their parents receive a very warm welcome into the setting. They have a clear sense of belonging as they identify their own photograph and peg on which to hang their coat. Staff in the setting work hard to encourage children to do things for themselves, they ensure

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 that aprons are easily accessible, that coats are put on before help is given with zips and that children put on their own shoes. Children have access to a wide range of opportunities which encourage their understanding of diversity, for example, play with multi-cultural dolls and clothes, kitchen utensils, books and jigsaws. The setting uses posters of a wide variety of different objects, for example, food to present positive images of difference.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There is a robust policy for meeting additional needs. Children with learning difficulties or disabilities are treated as individuals. Staff are competent to pick up when children are experiencing difficulties and confident to discuss this with parents, and actively support parents in obtaining help when needed. Staff attend training regularly to ensure that they have knowledge and understanding of how to meet individual needs as they arise.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave very well. They are developing strong strategies for making friendships, taking turns and settling disputes, as staff are excellent role models who regularly talk about being kind to each other and their own feelings. Children are given skilful individual support to succeed in situations that they find difficult, such as circle time. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are welcomed into the setting on every level. There is a range of good quality information that is offered to parents in a variety of ways. Information on how care and education is provided is of a high standard and is given to parents in written form as well as by talking directly to them. All policies and procedures are available at all times and the format for complaints is transparent and available for any parent to look at any time. Records show that concerns or suggestions raised by parents are taken seriously and used as a tool to develop practice. Parents are involved in their child's learning in the setting as they use arrival and departure times to tell staff what children have been doing at home and how outings at weekends have linked in with what is happening at nursery. Parents speak highly of the setting's provision of care and education for their children.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Effective recruitment procedures mean that safe, suitable practitioners work with the children. The records relating to this are stored in a way which supports safe care. They are easily accessible, well ordered and current.

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Organisation

The qualified staff team make good use of opportunities for continuous professional development which enhances children's care and learning. For example, staff have attended induction training and training in relation to the Foundation Stage curriculum, sign language and safeguarding children. Training is planned to ensure that any requiring updating, such as first aid, is done in a timely fashion. Staff are very well deployed according to their skills and experience. Records in the setting support safe care of children and are available for inspection. There are effective procedures in place for sharing records with parents.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. A strong leadership team with defined roles and responsibilities effectively supports staff and children. The setting quickly identified difficulties likely to arise out of recent departure of key staff members and have made use of the strong recruitment and selection procedure plus induction training to reduce the impact on the nursery overall. In addition, they have used additional staff training to reduce the significant impact of several staff leaving from the Foundation Stage area. They have good systems for managing temporary absence of staff before it has an impact on children, for example, they make use of

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 their own bank of staff to cover any difficulties. Staff are well supported through both formal and informal meetings. The clear focus of these ensure that staff develop enhanced skills in helping children make effective progress in each area of development. There is a clear vision for the future, which is deep rooted in the setting's commitment to successful integrated working and to developing quality practice. The manager has a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for future improvement.

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Organisation

The provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting was requested to increase several areas of clarity around protecting children. Since that time all staff have undertaken training, it has been added into induction training at an early stage, posters and an new policy have been developed. As a result, all staff are now clear on their role in protecting children, know the policy and local guidelines and are confident to seek appropriate advice in order to protect a child. Also during the last inspection the setting was asked to clarify record keeping in relation to attendance, ensure that the person responsible for coordinating help for disabilities and learning difficulties attended local training and increase positive images of difference in the nursery. Since that time the setting has ensured that the coordinator attends regular training on discharging her responsibilities, have increased the positive images in toys and equipment available to children

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Improvements since the last inspection

and have updated the attendance records for staff and children to ensure they include times of arrival and departure.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting was requested to continue to build on linking observation of children, defining needs and linking it to the planning and to improve the accessibility of resources to children. Since that time the setting has developed the process for assessing and defining each child's individual needs and linking that to the overall planning for the setting. This system has worked successfully to meet children's individual learning needs in the nursery. However, recent significant changes to staffing have slowed down the rate at which this has been undertaken in the last few months. Since the last inspection the whole setting has been re designed in order to allow children continuous access to many areas of play and this is now a strength of the setting as children can move around and select their own resources in line with their individual needs and preferences.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints which have required Ofsted to take any action to ensure that the setting continues to meet the National Standards. The setting has received one complaint in relation to Standard 7, hygiene practices. The setting undertook an internal review of practice and no further action was needed to meet the National Standards. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • continue to develop arrangements for sleeping to ensure all children are able to rest and sleep in line with their individual needs • continue to develop use of the outdoor area so that children have regular and consistent access to fresh air.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • review the outdoor equipment available to older children in order to ensure that it presents suitable challenge to help children fully develop their climbing and pedalling skills • continue to develop staff knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum for staff who work directly with children aged three and above • continue to develop the organisation of the setting and the use of the book area in order to allow more able children time to develop listening skills, sequencing skills and use of books a means of retrieving information • continue to develop the planning and recording of activities to ensure children's individual next steps of development are planned.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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